Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav appears before ED in foreign exchange violation case
The son of Rajasthan CM was summoned for being allegedly violating the foreign exchange rules.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot on Monday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, days after he was summoned by the probe agency. He reached the central agency headquarters at around 11:30 am.
The summons are linked to the recent ED raids against Rajasthan based hospitality group Triton Hotels & Resorts Pvt. Ltd., Vardha Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. and its directors and promoters Shiv Shankar Sharma, Rattan Kant Sharma and others.
Also read: 'ED's red rose': Ashok Gehlot says son Vaibhav Gehlot summoned by agency
A total of ₹1.2 crore in cash was seize by the ED during search last month in connection to the case. The hotel group is alleged to have received investment from Mauritius in 2007-2008.
Vaibhav Gehlot, is likely to face questions regarding his links with Rattan Kant Sharma.
Ashok Gehlot had earlier brushed off the allegations saying his son only owns a taxi company, in which Sharma was a partner. "They work separately now," he said.
"Central agencies have no credibility now. It is a worrying situation. This is not about my son or the state Congress president (Govind Singh Dotasra). Aatank macha rakha hai desh mein (they have spread terror in the country)," the Rajasthan CM said in a press briefing earlier.
Also read: ‘Gundagardi hai ye’: Ashok Gehlot jabs BJP over ED action on his son, Congress leaders
Responding to senior Gehlot's remarks, Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the Rajasthan CM should disclose how his son ‘converted shares of a hotel from ₹100 to ₹29,500’ instead of criticising the ED.
“Imagine one Triton Hotel share purchased ₹100 and sold it to a company based in Mauritius within one year at ₹29,500. The money rebooted to India was equivalnt to 2.5 lakh shares for ₹29,500, which is a windfall gain made by Gehlot's son,” he told Times of India.
